In our technological world, it seems that we can
find a mechanical device to do pretty much anything. We carry
around cell phones equipped with GPS, mow our lawns, brew cups of
coffee, and drive cars.

Well, what if there was a machine to comfort you
during your last moments on earth, reassuring you that all will be
well?

There is.

The “Last Moment Robot” has
been created by artist and designer Dan Chen to ease the transition
experienced by dying patients, unaccompanied by loved ones. Chen
completed his MFA at the Rhode Island School of Design, and in his
master’s thesis, describes the project as an
“interactive installation.” Ideally, if this
were ever to appear on the market, it would be in a hospital-like
environment, where patients could come to pass on in the presence
of the “comforting” robot.

The Last Moment Robot medical device is simply a
padded apparatus that acts as a human arm, a mechanical voice, and
LED screens that read “Detecting end of life.”
When the patient has passed, the LED screens even display the
words, “End of life detected.”

The robot gently caresses the patient and
recites scripted verses that are at least personalized enough to
include the patient’s name. “Hello Susie, I am
the last moment robot. I am here to help you and guide you through
your last moment on earth.”

The machine utters the words “You are
not alone,” and then even calls time of death.

Although it is a unique device, Chen did not
create the Last Moment Robot with the intentions of commercial use.
He was actually trying to demonstrate lack of intimacy in
today’s generation.

His creation was inspired by the Japanese Paro,
a fuzzy robotic animal that serves to support dementia patients.
The Paro was introduced in 2004, and made its appearance in America
in 2009. The animal-like robot is composed of five sensors that
include touch, light, audio, temperature and sa boost for the
robot’s awareness of its surrounding environment. The
Paro can actually learn to behave in a way that conforms to its
user’s needs and responds to its name.

In addition to the Last Moment Robot, Chen has
created some other intimate robots such as the “snuggling
robot” and the “purring robot.”

If you’ve ever hit a rough patch in
life and wanted to be assured that everything would be ok, Chen
even thought of a solution — the “Okay
Therapist,” a black box with just a small LCD screen,
speaker, and a dial, programmed to reassure the user that
“Everything is going to be ok.”

With machines for almost every human need, even
affection, Chen’s work may pose the question: Will the
robots one day take over? ■